Cleaning apparatus



T. H. BELL AND J. G. SCHOENLEBER. CLEANING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20,1920. RENEWED SEPT. 19,1922- 1,432 ,951 u Patented Oct. 24, 1922.

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CLEANING APPARATUS. APPl .lCAT|ON men MAR. 20, 1920. RENEWED SEPT. 19.1922.

Patented Oct. 24, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

INVEN TOR.

Patented Uct. 24, 11922.

TATES 1,432,951 PATENT oaance.

THOMAS 13ELL AND JOHN G. SCHOENLEBER, OF NEW YORK, I\T. Y.

CLEANING APPARATUS.

Application filed March 20, 1920. Serial N0. 367,356. Renewed September 19, 1922. Serial No. 589,286.

To all whom it concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS H. BELL and JOHN G. SCHOENLEBER, citizens of the United States, resid'ng at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Cleaning Apparatus,

of which the. following is a specification.

Our invention relates to cleaning apparatus and the main object is to provide an "mproved article capable of use selectively as an ordinary carpet sweeper or as a vacuum cleaner.

We aim' also to provide a sweeper structure having an electric motor mounted thereon to drive a fan or suction member at desired times for the selective operation aforesaid.

member employed, and

Figure 7 is a plan view of the suction chamber. 1

Referring specifically to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts, A is a hollow housing of any suitable material, for instance wood, and of any desired shape or size having a dust-entrance opening 8 in the bottom. Disposed in opening 8 is a rotary brush or dust-dislodging member 9 having a shaft 10 journaled-in the ends of the housing and exteriorly of the same having friction wheels 11 keyed thereto. The bristles of the brush extend below the housing to engage the carpet or floor surface and wheels 12 may be suitably journaled on axles 13 secured to .the housin ends. Certain wheels 12 may contact with .wheel 11 so as to turn the brush through traveling of the wheels 12 as shown in Figure 3.

Secured to the to of the housing is a hollow suction cham er or casing B, preferably of metal, being secured in any suitrigidly to 'a bail 20 of U-shape having its arms pivoted to the housing at 21 for vertical movement.

Within the housing a fan or suction member C is disposed for rotary movement. This fan may be of any desired construction but is preferably made like Figures 3 and 4. It may be stamped from flat steel to have a marginal reinforcing flange 22, a hub tube 23 and a plurality of air-impinging blades 24 struck out from the sheet to provide relatively large openings 25 so that a greater suction can be obtained. These blades are preferably curved transversely as shown with certain ends cut away as at 26. A power shaft 27 is engaged by the sleeve 23 and set screw 28 passes through the sleeve and engages the shaft to mount the fan thereon, a suitableopening 29 being provided in the casing to enable free movement of the: parts. This shaft 27 is preferably the main shaft of a suitable electric motor 30 mounted by a housing 31 bolted at 32, through a flange 33 to the top of easing B. The current for this motor maybe supplied through feed wires 34 to a suitable switch 35, mounted on the handle 19 and from thence through wires 36 to terminals of the motor at 37.

In use, with switch 35 off, the apparatus may be manually propelled or pushed over the surface to be cleaned so that wheels 11 and 12 will operate the brush and the brush bristles will dislodge and sweep the dust and dirt in the same manner as an ordinary carpet sweeper or broom. However, when desired, switch 35 may be closed, thus energizing the motor 30 resultin in rotating the fan or suction member so that the dust and dirt, by the vacuum created will be drawn or sucked into the housing A through opening 8, through openings 14 and 15 into casing B and thence into the collecting bag or sack opening in the side opposite the inlet, of an impeller which consists of a plate rotating within the casing and provided with transversely curvedvanes projecting toward the inlet and with a series oforelatively large openings each of which is adjacent the concave side of a vane, whereby a communication is maintained between the suction side of the impeller and the last mentioned openingin the casing.

In testimony whereof we have aflixed our signatures. v

THOMAS H. BELL.

JOHN G. SCHO-ENLEBER. 

